Colle Del Marchese

Overview

Colle Del Marchese is a category 4 climb in Italy that measures 4.9 km from base to summit. It starts at 233 m and tops out at 446 m, giving a net elevation gain of 213 m at an average gradient of 4.37%. On the categorisation scale, where HC (hors catégorie) is the hardest and the numbers descend through 1, 2, 3, to 4, this sits at the gentlest rung — but a category 4 is still a genuine climb, and 4.9 km of sustained uphill will make itself felt in your legs.

What defines this ascent is its evenness. With a maximum gradient of only 6.22%, the road never rears up into anything you would call steep. Instead you get a long, consistent gradient that rewards rhythm over raw power. This is a climb you settle into rather than survive.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The story of Colle Del Marchese is written in the gap between its average and its maximum. The average of 4.37% and the peak of 6.22% differ by only 1.85 percentage points, which tells you almost everything: there are no walls, no sudden ramps, and no relief-giving flats where you can coast. The gradient stays clustered tightly around the mean for essentially the entire 4.9 km.

The total ascent of 195 m is slightly less than the 213 m net gain figure, a small discrepancy that reflects how measurement is smoothed along the route. Either way, you are climbing a shade over 200 m across roughly five kilometres, and the road keeps tilting upward with metronomic consistency. Expect the steepest sensations — that 6.22% pitch — to arrive in short, digestible bursts rather than as a defining crux.

Pacing Notes

Because the gradient is so uniform, this climb is ideal for holding a steady, tempo effort right around your threshold. Ride it as a single sustained block rather than a series of surges. Since it never exceeds 6.22%, you can hold a fixed power target without being forced out of the saddle by a sudden ramp.

Pace it against your FTP rather than by feel — a 4.9 km climb is long enough that going out too hard in the first kilometre will cost you dearly near the 446 m summit. If you are unsure of your threshold number, run the FTP estimator first, then aim to sit just below that figure for the whole ascent and let the even gradient do the work of keeping your effort smooth.

Gearing

For a climb averaging 4.37% and maxing at 6.22%, most riders will be comfortable on a compact setup. A 34×32 lowest gear is plenty for the sustained pitches here and lets you spin a high cadence across the whole 4.9 km. If you prefer to climb seated and conserve energy, or you are carrying fatigue, a 34×34 gives you a little more headroom without ever feeling over-geared on terrain this moderate.

The consistent gradient means you will likely settle into one or two gears and stay there — there is no repeated shifting to chase changing pitches. Choose the ratio that lets you hold a relaxed cadence at threshold and you will have made the right call.

Summary

Colle Del Marchese is an approachable, rhythmic climb: 4.9 km of steady 4.37% gradient with no pitch above 6.22%. It suits threshold pacing, compact gearing, and riders who enjoy a smooth, sustained effort over a brutal one.

Length: 4.9 km
Average gradient: 4.37%
Max gradient: 6.22%
Start: 233 m
Summit: 446 m
Net gain: 213 m
Total ascent: 195 m
Category: 4